Meet the Chiefs: Michael Mittel, RapidFire Tools
In this week's Meet the Chiefs, we sat down with Michael Mittel, president and CEO of RapidFire Tools.
Michael Mittel, president and CEO, RapidFire Tools
Mittel: My first salaried job was as the Southeast regional sales rep for a vendor of key telephone systems in the early '80s. I traveled to many small southern towns town in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi giving product demos and answering technical questions. And learning how to eat grits.
The VAR Guy says: Learning how to eat grits and other southern fare is something we could definitely look into. We’ll have ours with cheese, please.
Mittel: A classic, vintage two-seater sports car, Porsche 911 or MG maybe. A clutch and stick are a must. It’s nice to have dreams …
The VAR Guy says: We can’t imagine how incredible it would be to drive down an open highway in one of these classic beauties. Are you sure that dream doesn’t contain a second vintage ride, perhaps for a dapper suit and tie-wearing friend in the journalism field?
Mittel: Skiing in Colorado with good snow, good friends and nothing to prove (anymore). What more could a person want? Looking down from the top of the mountain on a clear day is inspiring, and humbling, also.
The VAR Guy says: If you were looking for plenty of snow, you should have just come to New York! It might not be good for skiing, but it was plentiful.
Mittel: I can tell you what not to read: "PCI Compliance, The Definitive Guide" by Abhay Bhargav—unless you’re an insomniac. If you like history, I can recommend "Peter the Great: His Life and World," by Robert K. Massie which is not only about the life and times of this thinker, reformer, warrior and drinker, but a fascinating depiction of life throughout Europe during the late 1600s and early part of the 18th century.
The VAR Guy says: Who doesn’t love a good compliance guide to lull them off to sleep at night? But seriously, that Peter the Great book sounds pretty interesting. It’s definitely getting added to The VAR Guy’s list of must-read titles (if we ever get a chance to pick up a book, that is).
Mittel: A pair of Mephisto dress shoes, because comfort is way more important than appearance.
The VAR Guy says: From the looks of these shoes, you can probably have your cake and eat it too, depending on the style you choose.
Mittel: I don’t watch much regular TV other than "Jeopardy" and "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," not necessarily in that order.
The VAR Guy says: Two wildly different shows, that’s for sure. Alex Trebek should open up his own roadside diner so he could be a guest on Guy Fieri’s show.
Mittel: I always wanted to be a magician or stand-up comic or both. Short of that, an entrepreneur.
The VAR Guy says: That’s an interesting combination, and one that is pretty difficult to pull off. After all, bad stand-up magicians have a way of making audiences disappear! (We kid).
Mittel:I almost never watch a movie more than once, but for some reason I keep playing "Django Unchained," directed by Quentin Tarantino, over and over. Some scenes are highly stylized and hilarious, and the good guy wins in the end. And yes, I really enjoyed "Pulp Fiction," too.
The VAR Guy says: Both great movies! By the way, do you know what they call a Big Mac in France?
Mittel:I almost never watch a movie more than once, but for some reason I keep playing "Django Unchained," directed by Quentin Tarantino, over and over. Some scenes are highly stylized and hilarious, and the good guy wins in the end. And yes, I really enjoyed "Pulp Fiction," too.
The VAR Guy says: Both great movies! By the way, do you know what they call a Big Mac in France?
This week we sat down with Michael Mittel, president and CEO of RapidFire Tools, a developer of IT software tools for service providers, resellers and MSPs. Mittel has been president of RapidFire since 2010, and has a long history of leading IT channel companies; he also served as president of PerformanceIT, an IT support service provider for SMBs, as well as president of Enhanced Systems during his career.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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